anyone ever quit motocross and just ride mtn bikes

I have been riding motox for a while, just getting to the point where im not riding to my potential because of the fear of getting hurt (family, job, etc..). Was thinking of stopping all together and just concentrating on mtn biking. Although i still race cars im wondering if i will miss that feeling of twisting the throttle compared to pedaling. I have mtn biked before and do find it fun and great exercise, im just a motorhead

Although I dont ride moto X, I do ride motorcycles in the woods and do an occasional off road race, I would NEVER give up riding motorcycles or bicycles. I have been riding motorcycles and Mt bikes since I was 12 years old. Every time I hurt myself on either one I go through a phase of questioning wether it is worth it to continue riding and pushing myself on the said sport and I soon come to the realization that I am already missing riding. DONT GIVE UP ON RIDING MOTORCYCLES, it is a great sport. I have slowed down over the years on DH bikes and Motorcycles, but they still are the #1 thing on my mind. So YES, YOU WILL MISS IT!!!

I was forced to quit due to too many injuries. I think about it every time I hear or see a bike. My family still rides, so I can do 1 or 2 races each season by borrowing a bike from my dad or brother. I'm extremely lucky that I have that option. I agree with ^^^. If I didn't have the option of just borrowing a bike, I'd have one just so I could ride when I get the urge. I haven't raced to my full potential in almost 10 years, but getting out and running a C class race once or twice a year still feels good. Plus some of my best friends I've ever had, I met through racing. Keep on riding, just might be time to be OK going out for Sunday ride more than full throttle every moto.

I have been riding motox for a while, just getting to the point where im not riding to my potential because of the fear of getting hurt (family, job, etc..). Was thinking of stopping all together and just concentrating on mtn biking. Although i still race cars im wondering if i will miss that feeling of twisting the throttle compared to pedaling. I have mtn biked before and do find it fun and great exercise, im just a motorhead

Don't give up on the moto! Try some off road racing instead, a little less intense and more seat time. I love riding my MTB but my dez racing is my first love.
What kind of car racing do you do?

I've slowly transitioned from a full time moto guy (30 years of riding and racing dirt bikes) to, over the last 10 years, becoming a full time MTB guy. I still keep my KTM 300 because I can't stand the thought of not having a dirt bike but Im finding I ride it less and less. And when I do take it out I think more about getting hurt than I ever used to. So, yes, I've thought about giving it up.

But then I took it out this last weekend for the first time in several months on a "perfect dirt" day and had a ball even if I did feel a bit more awkward and cautious than normal.

Both are good, but if you're asking if the thrill and joy of moto-x can be replaced by mountain biking, I'd say, for the most part, yes.

I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth...
Isaiah 58:14

anyone ever quit motocross and just ride mtn bikes

I gave up dirt bikes about several years ago &amp; on occasions, I do miss it, but one killer ride on the MTB takes care of that feeling. On the positive side I ride my MTB almost everyday &amp; I'm in better shape then I've been in for many years. I've got tons of mountain biking friends &amp; best of all, most of my trails are within 30mins or closer for me to ride. I'm almost always back before noon to do family stuff. Where as dirt bike riding was also leave as dawn &amp; return at dusk .

I have been riding motox for a while, just getting to the point where im not riding to my potential because of the fear of getting hurt (family, job, etc..). Was thinking of stopping all together and just concentrating on mtn biking. Although i still race cars im wondering if i will miss that feeling of twisting the throttle compared to pedaling. I have mtn biked before and do find it fun and great exercise, im just a motorhead

I never raced motox, but I had been racing car for about 10 years before I picked up biking again. The car racing was fun, but it was getting too much. Too much time and money. When is started car racing I had little money, but enough time to compensate. later it got to the point where I had little money and no time. So put that on the shelf for bit and started biking again. Not the same, but some how easier since I have more time and I am more flexible. Now there are not more bike 3 day race weekends away from home once a month and no weekend spending all day wrenching on the car.

Now it just a few hrs one day each weekend morning and 2 hrs mid week. Wrenching time is almost no nothing. Plus parts are 1/10 the price. But yet still my wife complains how much time it takes to ride.

I just recently got back into MTB riding about 6 months ago. This was after a 10 year hiatus from bikes during which time I rode dirt bikes both at the tracks and desert. I loved riding Mountain bikes many years ago but once the dirt bike got into the garage the MTB bike just hung there for years getting dusty. Eventually sold that bicycle off.

Then about 6 months ago, I realized I just wasn't getting out to the track anymore and my desert friends had moved away and the MX bike wasn't getting any use. I figured I was getting out to the track only 3-4 times a year and it just wasn't worth it anymore, not to mention time is at a premium now with two kids.

So I made the hard decision to sell the KX250F. I literally took the cash to the bike shop the day I sold it and put every dollar into a new mountain bike. Best decision I could have made. I live near tons of trails and it is so easy to slip out and get some trail time. Within the first month of having the bike I'd say I had more time on it than the last 5 years of riding motocross.

Not to say I don't' still love the idea of turning laps at the track, it was just a reality that this was going to be more bang for my buck at this stage of my life.

I grew up in motorsports and lived and breathed motorcycles for a while. More pavement than dirt but I did have dirt bikes. I kind of lost interest in motorized recreation as I got into more non motorized activities like cycling, hiking, climbing, paddling, etc. I also came to appreciate the natural world more and saw what a big footprint - on the land and on other people around dirt bikes, ATV, snowmobiles, and all their relatives have. Although I fully understand the allure of having a lot of horsepower at your command, I no longer have any desire to partake in motorized recreation.

Started riding dirt bikes at 12 years old. Had dirt bikes off and on through my mid 30's. Then my wife's sister who is a fitness freak turned my wife onto mountain biking around 10 years ago. That started it for me, as it was getting harder to find places to ride dirt bikes, and moto-x racing was getting expensive and time consuming once we had two kids. Been riding mt. bikes for about 10 years now and really don't miss the moto too much since the places to ride were dwindling anyhow. I might feel different if there were more open lands to go riding here in north Texas where I live, but mountain biking opened up a whole new hobby for me as I hardly realized it existed. Also many trails to choose from (relatively speaking), not to mention downhill, which my wife and I enjoy when we can get to the mountains of N.M or CO. I always wandered what would consume my time if I wasn't riding dirt bikes. Turns out I'm still playing in the dirt on two wheels which makes me happy!!

I rode dirt bikes for 10+ years. I got my first MTB as a training tool for the dirt bike. After a while I realized I was riding the MTB a lot more than the dirt bike. Then I lost my job and couldn't afford to ride the dirt bike but I could still ride MTB. Finally sold the dirt bike and never looked back.

I wasn't an MX guy but I did lots of Enduro and Harescramble races. Gave it up about two years ago. I've always mountain biked so I just kept in with that and sold the Moto bike and gear. Never been happier. I never realized how much money and time the moto bikes took up, leaves me with lots of time for mountain biking and riding with my boy.

I started riding dirt bikes at age 5 or 6 but always in the desert or in the woods. I never touched a track until age 39 or 40. At age 45, while riding in the woods, I broke my femur and tore every ligament in my knee. I recovered after sitting on the couch for (6) months and gaining 20 lbs. I rode for another couple years but never got back on the track. Then on a family vacation up in Mammoth Lakes (the same area I got hurt), I literally had an epiphany and realized I was just going through the motions and wasn't really having a lot of fun anymore. Two months later, I sold all the dirt bikes, my toy hauler and my truck!!

I had been mountain biking for 20+ years but riding dirt bikes had definitely been the priority for a while. I started riding MTB's religiously again to lose the 20 lbs I gained and now I'm beyond hooked again. Nearly every vacation revolves around the ability to mountain bike. There are times when I'm having to work real hard on a climb that I miss the throttle but that feeling is dwarfed 100X over by the places that I can get out to in the middle of the woods somewhere that moto's aren't allowed.

I'll say I'm in an MX hiatus for the past few years. Having two girls that are almost teenagers now the dirt bikes were just something that took too much of my time to really enjoy it: driving out to track on weekends, practice days during the week if I was lucky, and the maintenance. Had to let one hobby go (for now) and cycling is something I can do from my garage door, the occasional race day is not as demanding, helps me stay in a shape besides round, and keeping 3 bicycles going takes less time than I'd spend changing oil and cleaning the air filter on the thumper.

Truth be told MTBs were my first passion but I sure miss the MX track every now and then.

I've slowly transitioned from a full time moto guy (30 years of riding and racing dirt bikes) to, over the last 10 years, becoming a full time MTB guy. I still keep my KTM 300 because I can't stand the thought of not having a dirt bike but Im finding I ride it less and less. And when I do take it out I think more about getting hurt than I ever used to. So, yes, I've thought about giving it up.

But then I took it out this last weekend for the first time in several months on a "perfect dirt" day and had a ball even if I did feel a bit more awkward and cautious than normal.

Both are good, but if you're asking if the thrill and joy of moto-x can be replaced by mountain biking, I'd say, for the most part, yes.

I was much in the same boat.....
.......Then I saw the Imperial Dunes when I moved to California at the beginning of the year. So I haven't actually owned a dirtbike in about 17-18 years, and now keep finding myself searching CR 450s

Street bikes are my actual passion, I got back into peddle bikes to stay in shape at the motorcycle track. NOTHING compares to rolling 100mph, with a knee down within inches of your buddy. Its the most fun I can have with clothes on. However, it is a hell of a workout and I'm not a 23 year old military guy that could spend all day every session out on the track with no prep work.

Still I love anything with two wheel that is fast enough to do something stupid with, so its all good here.

I was much in the same boat.....
.......Then I saw the Imperial Dunes when I moved to California at the beginning of the year. So I haven't actually owned a dirtbike in about 17-18 years, and now keep finding myself searching CR 450s

Street bikes are my actual passion, I got back into peddle bikes to stay in shape at the motorcycle track. NOTHING compares to rolling 100mph, with a knee down within inches of your buddy. Its the most fun I can have with clothes on. However, it is a hell of a workout and I'm not a 23 year old military guy that could spend all day every session out on the track with no prep work.

Still I love anything with two wheel that is fast enough to do something stupid with, so its all good here.

I know that feeling well , and I'll have to say blasting thru the woods on fresh dirt after a nice rain, on ripper single track is just as good if not a better all around experience, in my opinion. To me going around in circles doing the same set of turns over and over, trying to inch out that last second is kind of a weird concept in retrospect. While getting a good workout, and becoming one with the flow of the trail, turning something so unpredictable into smoothness, and enjoying nature isn't weird

I will be transitioning to bicycles again. Used to race mountain and road bikes back in the 90's. Stopped in '97, and took up moto in '99. Raced moto and hare scrambles for years. Ran some expert, but it finally just got too expensive to do, and keep enjoying it. Stopped racing and just became a "professional practice rider".
Got hurt pretty bad in September (4 broken ribs, collapsed right lung, separated shoulder grade 3). Had to be helicoptered to the hospital where I spent 4 days in the trauma unit, chest tube and all.

Wife told me I need to stop. We have a now 17 month old, so I will be transitioning this year back to bicycling from motorcycling.

It's a sad year. I love motocross. It has been the one thing I did that I truly was really good at, that came almost effortlessly to me. Unfortunately, starting riding MX at 19, I knew it would only be a hobby sport, but man, what a great thing to do. Other bad part, in June I just bought my new bike, 2013 KTM 450SXF. Sold my '04 KTM 450SX, so I will have to sell this new bike a the end of 2014.

I am hurting endurance and strength wise on the bicycle, but I have found my technical ability is still good. It's been fun riding with the old crew, and beating them downhills and on technical stuff. Unfortunatley, they blow me away as soon as I hit the uphills. I keep twisting the right twisty thing on the bike, but I never seem to go faster. Ah well. It will come back

I was much in the same boat.....
.......Then I saw the Imperial Dunes when I moved to California at the beginning of the year. So I haven't actually owned a dirtbike in about 17-18 years, and now keep finding myself searching CR 450s

We got to glamis about 8 times a year and its hard to beat a bike out there for sure.Have a sand rail also but thats one of the reasons i keep my cr500 very hard to beat the big bore 2stroke in the dunes.best is the 500 motor in the 450 chasis

I have been riding motox for a while, just getting to the point where im not riding to my potential because of the fear of getting hurt (family, job, etc..). Was thinking of stopping all together and just concentrating on mtn biking. Although i still race cars im wondering if i will miss that feeling of twisting the throttle compared to pedaling. I have mtn biked before and do find it fun and great exercise, im just a motorhead

I've been through a similar thinking process before, although I was more of an offroad motorcyclist (Hare Scrambles etc) vs. Motocross. I sold all my motorcycles once after an injury and gave it up for about a year. Same issues - just too dangerous. Also, the time involvement, especially for racing was too much.

But, I found I really missed the motos. My son, who was about 12 at the time wrote me a proposal to get back into it. "Why fathers should ride dirtbikes with their sons" When my wife started encouraging me, I was sold.

I've found a happy medium that I love. I just explore on my dirtbike nowadays (KTM 400 with a tag) and find joy in a day of clearing tough woods sections. It's also a great sport as the kids get older. Not many things that a late teens want to do with their dads and offroad motorcycles will get them out there. 3 of my kids are young adults now and we've had some great adventure trips on the motos.

back when I was young, riding motos was just something everyone did. Not so much Moto-x (I remember when Greeves was still competitive!), because that was a coastal thing; Midwesterners did enduro.

I got waylaid by the Trials thing in the 1970's, eventually graduating from a Yamaha TY250 to a Bul and then a Montesa. Still miss that Cota. In the 1970's I also built a few Honda thumpers, eventually building a series of XL-350 flattrackers that would eat BSA and Triumph singles (and clutches) for lunch.

For recreation we rode pretty much anywhere we liked thinking that by the time anyone could do anything about we'd be gone. Of course, we ruined it for everyone that way; I started mountain biking in 1983 or 1984 because it was quiet and didn't bother anyone. The Trials thing made the transition: I could have fun for an hour just sessioning on a log.

I still have a TY250 and one of the XL-350's in a hillclimb frame, but niether has moved in 10 years. If I was riding moto, I'd be crippled up; riding bicycles keep me young.

I used to race motocross and now just rides bikes on the road, MTB, fat. Sometimes I miss it, but it's nice to be able to ride right from my house, not drive 30-100 miles to a track, ride all day and then have to clean the bikes & do repairs when you get home.

I don't miss the crashes, catching feet in ruts and twisting ankles or hard landings though.

I've kind of gone the opposite - in a good way. At age 38 with a 10yo that fell in love with motorcycles from powered scooters, pocket bikes, etc, he decided he wanted a dirt bike. I hadn't ridden a "moto" since I was a kid, when we had quads. I picked him up a TTR110 and because I can't just turn him loose in the desert just yet, I picked up a TTR230 for myself. We have been having a blast over the past 6 months, his skills & confidence have gone way up and thankfully we have had no major injuries. I find that after 20+ years of mountain biking from XC to DH and back to XC over my life span, I have really good bike handling skills on the moto.

My 12yo wants no part of the dirt bike thing, he's all about mountain biking with dad. So, I am lucky to get to spend my weekends with my boys riding moto one day, and mountain biking the next. In fact, younger brother has also gotten the mountain biking bug so now the three of us going out and have a good time on the prime single track 5 minutes from home! I do find that riding the dirt bike has made me want to ride my mountain bike much more again, and that was an unexpected plus. I thought after twisting a throttle I was going to want no part of pedaling again!!

Of course here are some pics and yes both of those kids are on 29"ers!

I rode dirt bikes a lot back in the day as a teenager. The land and trails we were allowed on kept getting more restrictive and soon there was no where left nearby to ride. So the natural progression became a focus on mountain bikes. Less injuries and better cardio but just as much fun

Having ridden mx since I was 15 (and am now 39) I find I ride less and less on the mx track, and have not raced in 2 years. I race enduros and do a lot more trail riding now, and really like it. I have lost a lot of that competative edge, and am no longer willing to get hurt like before. I just like play riding and doing enduros for fun and fitness. I have been riding the MTB's since '99 and love it. So much less time consuming than riding moto! I can ride the MTB from my house to some great trails, but to ride moto I have to trailer to the next country (not a typo...I have to use my passport and cross an international border into the next country to ride!). Then you add up the hours driving, cleaning, maintaining plus costs moto gets really expensive. I love it, but the mtb is just as fun, if a little different and way cheaper and less time consuming.

I've also gone the opposite. I am in my mid 40's, but find myself riding MX more and more(3 days a week). I mean, I do love mountain biking and own bikes from almost all disciplines except dirt jumping, but riding mountain bike never gives me the same excitement and satisfaction as MX does. If I were riding desert, trail or woods, I would probably pick MTB, but for me MX can't be replaced with MTB.

I even switched from 450 to 250 2 stroke to keep my edge since I realized riding 450 makes me a little lazy. I put track only 90H on my 14' KTM 250SX in 6 month.

I even switched from 450 to 250 2 stroke to keep my edge since I realized riding 450 makes me a little lazy. I put track only 90H on my 14' KTM 250SX in 6 month.

I just put a 300 kit from Slavins racing on my 2011 KTM250XC....waiting on a new FMF Gnarly to come in (Cracked the old pipe) so have not ridden it as a 300 yet...cant wait!! 2 strokes are so much fun to ride!

I have an old yz125 that I ride when I have a little extra time and money. Mtbing is just so easy and less expensive to get out on the trail while moto takes up basically the whole day. I raced mx since I was a kid but just ride for fun these days. As much as I love biking, I just have to have the option to be able to take my dirt bike out. That's why I have an inexpensive 2-stroke that is fine sitting in the garage and may sit for a month or 2 at a time but when I want to I take it to the track because I just get that itch to ride. Even if I wanted to sell it, I probably wouldn't get more than $1500 for it and I'm not hurting enough for money to justify selling it. On top of that, the fact that I don't ride much means I don't have to replace parts too frequently.
My opinion is, if you don't need the cash for it, just keep the Mx bike and spin a few laps when you feel like it. Nothing wrong with having multiple hobbies if you don't take the all or nothing approach.
Just wanted to share my baby

thanks for all the replies. Im still up in the air with moto. I still do race an SCCA car and will always race some sort of car, i can never give that up. Im thinking of moving on from moto, tracks are far away, mtn bike trails are all over the place by my house and yes you could get hurt in MBiking but i feel a little less than in MX. And that is one of my reasons of thinking of moving on, i do not want to and cant ride around and think about getting hurt.

Ya for sure that's the flip side of it. If you can't enjoy the ride, then it's honestly money wasted. I used to race quads and actually got pretty decent. I was at the local B level and about to the point to move up to the A class. If you know moto, you should have a pretty good idea of how sketchy quads are on Mx tracks. It honestly got to the point where I'm 4-5th pinned on the approach to some jump that was either land it perfect or it's going to hurt, and it's all I could think about. Winning races was fun but the actual races just weren't really fun anymore. My last race I won and it was probably my best race ever but it was also my last on a quad. I packed it up, found a buyer for my quad, bought a dirt bike, and found myself back to square 1 in the moto scene. I haven't ridden a quad since. The only regret I have is that I didn't start out on bikes.
If it's something you just aren't into anymore, then it might be good to pack it up. It sounds like you already have another cool hobby and mtbing is a blast too.
Here's my take on it man. Based on you hobbies, you can probably stand to park the bike for a while without hurting for the cash value of it. Change the oil, clean the air filter, drain the gas (basically have it ready to take out to the track on a moments notice but where it could be parked for a few months too), and just put it on the back burner. The only one that can truely decide whether or not you can walk away from it is you. So give yourself the opportunity to in order to see if you can, but if you decide you can't then at least you still have your bike there! Don't jump into anything too quickly.

I sold my KTM 300 XCW, and 250 XCFW last year because while my lower back has no issues with 4 hour long rides on a full rigid MTB, it won't take more than an hour on a MX track or hare scrambles course without causing me severe pain for the next 4 days. I'd love to say I miss it, but I find that I do not.

I have been riding motox for a while, just getting to the point where im not riding to my potential because of the fear of getting hurt (family, job, etc..). Was thinking of stopping all together and just concentrating on mtn biking. Although i still race cars im wondering if i will miss that feeling of twisting the throttle compared to pedaling. I have mtn biked before and do find it fun and great exercise, im just a motorhead

You're not alone. I quit motorcycle roadracing for mountain biking and I have at least 8 friends who have done the same.

I, like others here, have stopped and started riding dirt bikes several times. But then, I stopped riding bicycles for a while and started again that now too. I'm a woods rider on the dirt bikes as I'm a XC rider on the mtn bikes. Too old and not willing to risk my neck with motocross or downhill, so I stay with the fitness side and just enjoy the day and the ride. Don't know how much longer I'll be on the motorcycles, but with the help of bicycle fitness, hopefully a little while yet.

I too both both Moto and MTB, except I am not a MX guy. I stick to doing enduros and fun rides. I got into MTB about 7 years ago and a way to cross train. Now I am finding it is just as much fun with less the $$. I did end up buying a 2014 KTM 350XCF. Great bike. Not sure I will ever give up moto but I find I am MTB a whole lot more

We will never know our full potential unless we push ourselves to find it.

I've kind of gone the opposite - in a good way. At age 38 with a 10yo that fell in love with motorcycles from powered scooters, pocket bikes, etc, he decided he wanted a dirt bike. I hadn't ridden a "moto" since I was a kid, when we had quads. I picked him up a TTR110 and because I can't just turn him loose in the desert just yet, I picked up a TTR230 for myself. We have been having a blast over the past 6 months, his skills & confidence have gone way up and thankfully we have had no major injuries. I find that after 20+ years of mountain biking from XC to DH and back to XC over my life span, I have really good bike handling skills on the moto.

My 12yo wants no part of the dirt bike thing, he's all about mountain biking with dad. So, I am lucky to get to spend my weekends with my boys riding moto one day, and mountain biking the next. In fact, younger brother has also gotten the mountain biking bug so now the three of us going out and have a good time on the prime single track 5 minutes from home! I do find that riding the dirt bike has made me want to ride my mountain bike much more again, and that was an unexpected plus. I thought after twisting a throttle I was going to want no part of pedaling again!!

Of course here are some pics and yes both of those kids are on 29"ers!

Nice Job Dad!!
Glad You can afford this.
It will keep you together for life.
Enjoy.
G
Out.

In '09 after 10+ years away from MTB, I decided to buy another bike to supplement my MX riding. I was enjoying having MTB back as it's more social while riding and I found it easier to get out of the house to do. Well, 2 years later I crashed racing moto and got a concussion that I still am not sure I recovered from, and started to destroy the lower discs in my back. I decided I would not race anymore, and just ride for fun. After only two attempts to ride my MX bike 6 months apart ended with doctor visits again..I said F THIS, and sold the bike on the spot. It sucked, but my body was just falling apart and i'm only in my 30's..

I decided at the start of last year that I would give a shot at MTB racing, and started training more seriously..even bought a road bike with the money from selling my MX bike. I have been having a great time, have met some great people..And if weren't for my bad back holding me up here or there (now because of work instead of moto..) I would say I have never felt better.

Every time I watch MX or SX on tv I get the urge to ride again, and maybe if they get something going with injecting stem cells into degenerative discs I will be first in line! For now I am happy with MTB and Road riding/racing.

-Gabe

Originally Posted by ajcjr

I have been riding motox for a while, just getting to the point where im not riding to my potential because of the fear of getting hurt (family, job, etc..). Was thinking of stopping all together and just concentrating on mtn biking. Although i still race cars im wondering if i will miss that feeling of twisting the throttle compared to pedaling. I have mtn biked before and do find it fun and great exercise, im just a motorhead

Exactly how we got started as a family. My 10 year old son wanted a dirt bike so I had to get one + the one for our older daughter and a quad for my wife. It was an AWESOME family activity; going on desert and mountain trip with numerous other work families. Besides getting hurt on the dirt bike, it was an easier decision to sell when the kids went off to college.

Originally Posted by blaklabl

I've kind of gone the opposite - in a good way. At age 38 with a 10yo that fell in love with motorcycles from powered scooters, pocket bikes, etc, he decided he wanted a dirt bike. I hadn't ridden a "moto" since I was a kid, when we had quads. I picked him up a TTR110 and because I can't just turn him loose in the desert just yet, I picked up a TTR230 for myself. We have been having a blast over the past 6 months, his skills & confidence have gone way up and thankfully we have had no major injuries. I find that after 20+ years of mountain biking from XC to DH and back to XC over my life span, I have really good bike handling skills on the moto.

My 12yo wants no part of the dirt bike thing, he's all about mountain biking with dad. So, I am lucky to get to spend my weekends with my boys riding moto one day, and mountain biking the next. In fact, younger brother has also gotten the mountain biking bug so now the three of us going out and have a good time on the prime single track 5 minutes from home! I do find that riding the dirt bike has made me want to ride my mountain bike much more again, and that was an unexpected plus. I thought after twisting a throttle I was going to want no part of pedaling again!!

Of course here are some pics and yes both of those kids are on 29"ers!

Very common transition I think here. I too switched because of lack of money due to all the injuries I succumbed during my 3 year hare scramble racing stint. The main one being my amputated big toe after I smashed it too bad to be fixed, wearing mx boots (ouch!). I'm still paying these bills a year later and ironically I'm in the best shape of my life because I'm always on my mountain bike. I still have my 04 ktm 200 that I still ride on occasion but my confidence level on it has dwindled over the past year of not riding it much. I just don't have the heart to sell it because I know I will regret it and money is such a temporary thing, you get it, spend it and then what do you have. I have a couple mountain bikes but my favorite ironically is the most simple one, redline monocog 29er. I just love the challenge of pushing that tall gear.

It's a shame some of us don't live closer. It would be fun to do an ex-moto trail ride and do some bench racing/story telling. Good to see some more moto guys transitioning to mtbing. I suppose you just can't pull some of us from the dirt. I'll live in the dirt until I'm burried in it